Dealing With Headaches

Ok, that’s a corny title, but in one sense, it’s true. I did begin a headache before Mom and I left to go vote. It could have mutated into a migraine, but thankfully, I won’t know. When I felt pressure on a few points of my head, I just popped one Execedrin and crossed my fingers. By the time we were done voting, all traces of the pressure was gone.

Oh, Rena, Come On!

I’ll be the first to admit that it was probably sheer coincidence that all traces of the headache went away as soon as I voted. Mom and I decided to plan our whole day around voting. It was predicted that the lines would be long around the greater Philadelphia area, so we decided to get up at the ungodly hour of 8am to vote early.

And, of course, I had to be stupid enough to watch television until late last night, making sure that I wouldn’t get the sleep I needed in order to throw off a sleep deprivation headache. So, I guess I was a little tense this morning.

Planning Life Around Your Headache

When you have chronic headaches or migraines, just trying to plan a day trip can be an adventure in nerves. You never know when the tiny terrorist in your head is going to set off another blast. Anticipation of getting a headahce at the worst possible time can trigger a cycle that gives you a headache.

What I do is that I just plan on getting the headache. Sometimes this works — sometimes this backfires. For example, I popped an Excedrin at the first hint of a headache. I’ve been having headaches for so long that I can practically smell them coming. But it’s not a good idea to just pop an over the counter pain killer as a preventative medicine. That’s hard on the stomach and can lead to other health problems.

So, what I usually do is walk around with a backpack or large bag that includes a bottle of tap water, Excedrin and sunglasses. That way, if I’m far from home and a migraine should hit, I can at least take the edge off until I can come home and completely collapse. And really, isn’t that what America is all about?

Yeah, I hear you — I can kiss that dream job at MSNBC goodbye.